The major in German studies is an interdisciplinary program focusing on study of the literary, artistic and philosophical aspects of German culture in the past and the present; the major historical events and developments in Germany and its neighboring countries; and the current political institutions and dynamics in Germany within the broader European framework.

Requirements

Program Requirements

Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below.

The major requirement in German studies is 32 hours beyond GRMN 1020 (with grades of C- or above). Students design their own major in consultation with the undergraduate advisor and a faculty mentor. At least 18 hours taken toward the major must be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Required Courses and Credits

German Language Courses14-17
German language courses above GRMN 1020, to include either GRMN 3020 or GRMN 3030 (or both).
Intermediate German 1
and Intermediate German 2
or
Intensive Intermediate German
Upper-division German Language courses:
Advanced German 1
Advanced German 2 1
Business German
Advanced German III 1
German Culture, Literature and Other Electives15-18
Take at least 5 German literature/culture courses. At least 3 courses must be upper division, and at least 3 must be taught in the German language.
Courses Taught in German
Select at least three of the following:
German for Science and Engineering
German Literature from the Avant-garde to the Postmodern
German Literature from the Enlightenment to Expressionism
Issues in German Philosophy and Literature
Current Issues in German Literature
Issues in German Politics and Literature
Open Topics in the Cultural Context
Independent Study
Internship
The Age of Goethe
Seminar in German Literature
Methods of Teaching German
Courses Taught in English
First Year Seminar (Topic "Uncertainty")
Germany Today
Metropolis and Modernity
Nature and Environment in German Literature and Thought
Topics in Modern German Culture and Society
Inside Nazi Germany: Politics, Culture, and Everyday Life in the Third Reich
Nazis on Screen: Hollywood, War, Propaganda
GRMN 2402
Miniatures of Modrn Life: From Berlin to Vienna and Beyond
Representing the Holocaust
Fairy Tales of Germany
Gothic, Horror, and Fantasy
Kafka and the Kafkaesque
Moral Dilemmas in Philosophy and Literature
Topics in Modern German Culture and Society
Modern Art and Design at the Bauhaus
The German Experience in North America
The German-Jewish Experience: From the Enlightenment to the Present
Literature in the Age of Goethe
German Film Through World War II
Topics in German Film
The Enlightenment: Tolerance and Emancipation
Tracing the Criminal: Crime in 19th C Society and Culture
Engineering and the Practice of Literature
Masters of Suspicion: Marx, Nietzsche, Freud
German Film and Society 1945-1989
German Film & Society After 1989
German Women Writers
Refugees in German Culture
Dada and Surrealist Literature
Politics and Culture in Berlin 1900-1939
The Invention of Sexuality
Marxism
Gender, Race and Immigration in Germany and Europe
Seminar: Literature in Cultural Context
Nietzsche: Literature and Values
Issues in German Thought
Goethe's Faust
History of Yiddish Culture
Total Credit Hours32-35

Secondary Teacher Certification Program

In addition to other requirements as stated by CU Boulder's School of Education, the following courses are required for students in the secondary teacher certification program:

Study Abroad

The department recommends that all majors take part in study abroad. Students may study through the university program in Regensburg for a full academic year or for the spring semester. The Berlin program offers options for the full academic year, fall semester, spring semester and summer terms. The Berlin program also offers an internship opportunity. Students should consult with their major advisor and visit the Education Abroad website for program-specific information. Scholarships are available to help cover the costs of study abroad.

Graduating in Four Years

Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress in German studies, students should meet the following requirements:

  • Begin to study the language in the freshman year, or have received AP credit.
  • In consultation with the major advisor before the end of the drop/add period in the first semester, plan a tentative schedule of courses to be taken over eight semesters.
  • Discuss progress toward the degree each semester with the major advisor.

Note: Although these requirements apply only in cases in which students are seeking to graduate under the terms of the four-year guarantee, they are good advice for all majors. Consult the major advisor about the major at any time.

Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study

Through the required coursework for the major, students will complete all 12 credit hours of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement.

Plan of Study Grid
Year OneCredit Hours
GRMN 1010 and GRMN 1020 (8 credit hours) or GRMN 1030 (5 credit hours) which does not count toward the major 1 8
One lower-division GRMN literature or culture course 3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/US Perspective) 3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) 4
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours30
Year Two
GRMN 2010
GRMN 2020
Intermediate German 1 1,2
or Intensive Intermediate German
8
One GRMN literature or culture course 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution/Diversity course (example: Social Sciences/Global Perspective) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours32
Year Three
Study Abroad recommended  
GRMN 3010
GRMN 3020
Advanced German 1
or Business German
6
Upper-division GRMN literature or culture course taught in German or English 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Elective 3
 Credit Hours30
Year Four
GRMN 4010 Advanced German III 3
Three Upper-Division GRMN literature or culture courses taught in German 6
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) 3
Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
Upper-division Elective 3
 Credit Hours27
 Total Credit Hours119

Learning Outcomes

The following objectives are central to the undergraduate degree in German studies:

  • To understand, articulate, and critically reflect on key concepts of media, history, and cultures of German-speaking societies.
  • To expand historical understanding and cultivate intercultural competency.
  • To engage critically and comparatively with diverse perspectives and positionalities within German-speaking societies.
  • To conduct research and engage in critical analysis of the area of study.
  • To develop German language skills, written and spoken, to enable communication, self-expression, and creativity in a variety of situations and contexts.

Bachelor's–Accelerated Master's Degree Program(s)

The bachelor's–accelerated master's (BAM) degree program options offer currently enrolled CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to receive a bachelor's and master's degree in a shorter period of time. Students receive the bachelor's degree first, but begin taking graduate coursework as undergraduates (typically in their senior year).

Because some courses are allowed to double count for both the bachelor's and the master's degrees, students receive a master's degree in less time and at a lower cost than if they were to enroll in a stand-alone master's degree program after completion of their baccalaureate degree. In addition, staying at CU Boulder to pursue a bachelor's–accelerated master's program enables students to continue working with their established faculty mentors.

BA and MA in German

The BAM degree program in German studies recognizes the need for master's-level training upon entering the job market in a variety of sectors that call for highly advanced proficiency in the German language, knowledge of the German-speaking central Europe and its cultures, and the skills afforded to BA and MA graduates in the humanities (research, analysis, interpretation, translation and communication).

The degree gives highly motivated BA students the opportunity to earn an MA degree using an accelerated undergraduate program in combination with a fifth year of study. 

For more information, visit the department's concurrent BAM degree in German studies webpage.

Admissions Requirements

In order to gain admission to the BAM program named above, students must have an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher, and should have completed most of their MAPS/Gen Ed requirements by the end of their sophomore year. No GRE is required. It is recommended that applications be turned in by the spring semester of the sophomore year.

Students should apply for the German BAM online. Before filling out the online application, complete the German BAM application. The German BAM application should be uploaded to the online application, along with an unofficial CU transcript. Students should apply using the BAM intent application.

Program Requirements

Students may take up to and including 12 hours while in the undergraduate program which can later be used toward the master's degree. However, only 6 credits may be double counted toward the bachelor's degree and the master's degree. Students must apply to graduate with the bachelor's degree, and apply to continue with the master's degree, early in the semester in which the undergraduate requirements will be completed.

If you are interested in the BAM degree program, please contact the German MA program for more information.